“I wish I had a dad…” said Zen. Broadcaster Sayuri candidly confessed to her son Zen about the reality that 'there is no dad,' reaffirming her vow to raise her child with double the love, even alone.

In October of last year, Channel A's entertainment program ‘Dad Is a Flower Middle-Aged Man’ depicted Sayuri’s daily life as a voluntary single mother living with her son. On that day, Sayuri participated in a fall sports day with Zen and his friends from daycare, fulfilling both the mother and father roles and having a special day.

Before the sports day, Sayuri revealed, “I want to show Zen and the people around us that 'a mom can be just as strong as a dad.'” Indeed, she started her busy day early, training physically with Zen and thoughtfully preparing lunch. Even in carrying the child safety seat into the taxi, her love as a mother could be felt in every small detail.

After the event, Sayuri naturally mingled with other dads and shared parenting concerns, noting, “Zen wants to use the boys' restroom these days,” as she shared her everyday worries, and the dads empathized by sharing their parenting experiences.

However, after the sports day, Zen told Sayuri, “I wish I had a dad,” revealing his feelings for the first time and leaving Sayuri unable to respond as tears welled in her eyes. In an interview with the production team, Sayuri confessed, “It was the first time Zen said that. It was really heartbreaking and painful.”

Nevertheless, Sayuri remained unfazed and gently replied to her son, “Mom will work twice as hard to fill the dad's role.” The grants watching this shared a deep sense of emotion, stating, “The fact that Zen can express his feelings so honestly is evidence of a healthy relationship.”

Sayuri's conviction was reiterated on the YouTube channel ‘Oh Eun-young's Bucket List’ broadcasted on the 11th. She revealed, “At first, I tried to lie to Zen by saying there was a dad, but I felt I couldn’t live like that my whole life,” adding, “From the beginning, I said, 'There is no dad. But this is neither a sad nor a bad thing. It’s just how he was born,' calmly explaining to him.”

In response to Sayuri's honest and calm parenting philosophy, netizens have expressed support with comments like, “Is there a more wonderful mom than this?” “Zen will surely grow up to be an excellent child,” and “I applaud Sayuri's courageous confession.”

Meanwhile, Sayuri gave birth to her son Zen through a sperm donation from a Japanese sperm bank in 2020 and is continuing a heartfelt life while balancing parenting and broadcasting as a ‘voluntary single mother.’

[OSEN]